Airbnb rentals soar in Queensland

Airbnb rentals have soared in Queensland.

Airbnb rentals soar in Queensland

September 30, 2018

A study, commissioned by the Australian Coastal Councils Association, has found that the majority of homes in holiday spots in the Australian state have been listed as short term rental accommodation on the popular site, which was launched in 2011.

And now there are fears that residential areas have been "invaded" by tourists.

The report shares: "Holiday homes are part of the character of coastal towns and there is no dispute that online rental platforms have created new tourism opportunities in coastal areas. However, in some communities the rapid growth in listings has emerged as a major challenge with potentially serious consequences."

Whilst Australian Coastal Councils Association chairman Barry Sammels added: "Some permanent residents felt their community had been invaded by tourism and spoke of the stress involved in not knowing when a new party of visitors was likely to arrive next door and how they were going to behave within residential neighbourhoods."

And it is believed that changes need to be made to the regulatory framework in order to manage the increase in short-term rentals.

University of Sydney chair of urban and regional planning and policy professor Nicole Gurran said: "Getting the right planning and regulatory framework in place to manage short-term rentals in the digital era is critical to the economic and social sustainability of these communities."